Combination can and bottle opener



Nov. 8, 1927.

J. L. PARSONS COMBINATION GAN AND BOTTLE OPENER Filed oct. 30. 1926 parent from the following Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITE DsT ' JHN L. PARSONS, 0F PULASKI,

TENNESSEE.

COMBINATION CAN AND BOTTLE OYENER.

Application led.0ctobcr 30, 1926. Serial No, 145,158.

The presentfinvention consists of a can opener which is so constructed that the cut'- ting part thereof may be auxiliary implements, and then urged, in a facile manner, around the can top to sever the latter from the body of the can.

An object of the invention is to provide a can opener embodying handles which op-` erate to force a cuttin element into the can, the construction of t e opener being such that a relatively light force only is necessary in order to actuate the opener.

Other objects of the invention will be apdescription of the present 'preferred form of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein v i Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view'of a can opener present invention illustrating the application thereof. I

Fig. 2- is a sectional view taken on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing one of the handles with its associate parts in side elevation; an

Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary perspective view of the opener showing'the parts thereof separated to disclose details.

In order to illustrate the application of the present invention a portion of a can 4 isv illustrated which is of standard design. 'As is customary, the top of the can depends into the body and a peripheralbead 5 is provided by the ]ointure of the cantop'with the body of the can, in a manner well. known in the art.

The opener made in accordance with the present invention embodies handles 6 and 7 each'of which is preferably made of metal. The handle' 6 has one end thereof enlarged to provide a head 8 the free terminal of which has a portion thereof bent inwardly at right angles to provide a guide' flange 9 r which is adapted-to impinge against the inner wall of the bead 5. By preference the inner wall of the flange 9 is arcuate to .permit a lateral oscillatory movement of the handles, during the cutting operation, in a manner more fully hereinafter set forth. The sides ofxthe head 8 are bent inwardly at right angles to provide parallel guides 10 eachv of which has a portion thereof extended, approximately midway its ends, to

provide an ear 11 which is apertured as in dicated at 12.. POI'IO-ns of the 'guides 10 eifectually forced, through the can body without the aid of lwardly .from its margin,

constructed in accordance with the from the inner faces of the lingers 13.

toward Ithe body of provided, at the are bentinwardly so as to lie parallel lwith the body. of. the head 8 and provide guide fingers l- 'The upper end of the handle 6 has the margins thereof folded inwardlyto provide a substantially semi-cylindrical structure the terminal of which has'anfopening 14 formed therein. Thehandle 7 has Athe lower end-thereof enlarged andthe margins of the. enlargement bent .inwardly at right angles to provide. ears 15 -which arel pivotally engaged through the medium of a pin 16, with the ears 11 of the handlel 6. I

The pin 16 extends through the'ears 1 5 near the body ofthe handle 7 and also extends through the apertures 12 of the ears 11. Each of the ears 15 has a lug extended out- Fixedly handle 6 is a spacer plate 18 one end of which terminates shortof 9, the outer face of the plate ybeing spaced space between the plate 18and the flange 9 is sufficient to accommodate the .bead`5 of the. canv 4, and when the opener is so posi tioned withrespect to the can, the other face of the plate 18 is in horizontal'al-i'gnment with the inner lperiphery of the can body.a

Slidably mounted between the plate 18 and the llingersy 13 is a cutting member. or blade 19 one end of which .is cut obliquelyv and beveled to provide a cutting edge 20. The opposite end of the bla-de extends upwardly the handle 6 and is provided with an aperture 21 which receives one end of a coil spring 22, the opposite end of'said spring being engaged inthe aperture 14 of the handle 6. As is apparent from -Figs. 1 and 2 of :the drawings, the spring 22 normally holds the cutting member 19 in a retracted position in the handle 6.l

The cutting member 19 is provided inthe lateral margins thereof with recesses 23 which are adapted to, receive therlugs 17 formed on the ears 15 of the handle 7. Gonsequently when the handle 7 is urged toward ythe handle 6 the cutting member -19 is urged downwardly against the resistance of vthe spring 22. By making the working edge of as indicated at 17 mounted in vthe head 8 of the the terminal guide flange l The v the cutting memberI 19 oblique it will be an entering point 24 is extreme outer end ofthe cutting member, which first penetrates the can body when the cutting member is actuated. Continued pressure 'on the handle 7 causes the cuttingA edge20 of the cutting appreciated that member 19 to bito into the can body in a shear-like manner so as to incise the can top from the can body. When the cutting' member 19 has been forced outwardly to its fullest extent, the trailing point of the 'cutting edge 20 remains within the confines of the` head 8 permitting the opener to be continuously urged around thev can during the cutting operation eliminating the possibility of impingement of one side of the cutting member in the bight formed between that portion of the can top which has been incised and the can body.

From the above it is believed to be apparent that the user of the opener can completely .or partially sever the can top from the can body in a continuous operation by Working the handle 7 toward the handle 6 .in a shear-like fashion.v The cutting mem- -ber 19 is relatively heavy so as to be urged with facility through the relatively `thin can body by the compressive action of the handles. As soon as pressure is released from the handles the handle 7 is automatically moved away from the handle' and concurrently the cutting member 19 isretra-cted in the head of the handle 6. The opener is adapted for uselwith cans 'of any size without any adjustment whatsoever.

It will be noted that the head 8 ofthe handle 6 is bent inwardly toward the handle 7 to provide a sloping wall 26 at the jointure of the handle 6 and head 8 which is adapted for the reception of a bottle opener 27. It is apparent that in use of the opener the bill of the opener hook is engaged beneath the bottle cap and the cap removed by a fulcrum movement in a manner well known in the art. s

Although I have above described the preferred form of my invention it 1s neverthe less to be understood that various changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is 4 1. A can opener consisting of coacting handles one of which is le uipped with a can bead embracing termina a cutting element slidably mounted Ain7 said handle, the

other of said handles being'engaged with the handle, and means mounted on the other handle to engage the cutting melnber for actuating the latter.

3. A can opener including al pair of coacting handles one ofwhich is equipped with a guide flange for impingement beneath the bead of a can, Aa cutting member slidably mounted in said handle and operable into position beyond said flange for incisingthe can top, and extensions formed on the other handle for engagement with 4the ,cutting member to actuate the latter by relative movement of said handles.

4. A can opener including a pair of pivot# ally connected handles one of which is provided With an arcuate guide flange for engagement beneath the bead of a can, a cutting member` slidably mounted in said handle and movable to project a part of. the cutting edge thereof beyond said flange, means to normally hold said cuttingjmember in a retracted position in the handle, and means formed on the other handle and cooperable with said cutting member to operate the latter against the resistance of the cutting member retracting means.

' 5. A equipped with a guide flange engageable with the inner periphery of the can bead, a cutter element mounted in said handle, and a second handle engaged with the first handle and cooperable with the cutter element to urge the latter through the can body beneath 'the bead when the handles are moved together.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

JOI-IN L. PARSONS.

can opener including a handle' 

